


heartstrings in minor key

by lavendrlies



Series: Danganronpa V3 : Chaotic Order [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), One Shot, POV Akamatsu Kaede, Platonic Relationships, Side Story, in which kiibo plays therapist with his subpar knowledge, on emotional problems, they are both Doing Their Best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25076707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavendrlies/pseuds/lavendrlies
Summary: Akamatsu Kaede, despite all odds, does her best to keep thinking positively and encourage everyone along the way. She has to, because otherwise they might never stand a chance.Right?Wrong.-Alternatively: A conversation behind locked doors. Takes place during chapter 1.2 of TIAoLaD
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede & K1-B0
Series: Danganronpa V3 : Chaotic Order [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820293
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	heartstrings in minor key

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, welcome!! This is a side story that takes place during chapter 1.2 in The Intertwined Arts of Leadership and Deception. I would heavily suggest reading the main story first, at least to that point, because there are continuous references to the events leading up to chapter 1.2 throughout this one shot.
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy!

Akamatsu wasn't stupid, despite what her more cynical companions might think.

She was painfully aware of the severity of their situation, and it wasn't like she intended to dismiss that, or give anyone false hope. It was just that she typically preferred to have a more positive outlook - she always felt more motivated with it, and had assumed that words of encouragement helped others too. She never said anything she thought was outside the realm of possibility either, because again, she didn't intend to give anyone false hope.

Akamatsu truly did believe that they would be okay, even as the situation revealed itself to be worse and worse. She had been hopeful once they discovered the tunnel, determined that they'd be able to get through as long as they worked together. 

After all, they were Ultimates!

(In hindsight, maybe that was a bit of a childish assumption, but she really believed it. Even though she herself was one, she never fully shook her predisposed awe towards Ultimates. They always felt like they were unstoppable, unbeatable, and in a dire situation like this, she had been desperate to feel like that too.)

And yet, by the time it was nearing nighttime and their numbers had dwindled to five, she had to wonder if her approach had been correct. Akamatsu, despite all her hopefulness, was tired and confused above all else. Momota seemed to be the only one left who was truly determined, and he kept encouraging them with grins that seemed strained from exhaustion. For once, his words didn't comfort her.

(She hated thinking it towards Momota, who had been nothing but nice, but at that moment, she couldn't help but think: did _she_ always sound annoyingly, persistently optimistic like that?)

Even so, Momota was easily swayed to bed with suggestions that they'd try again later, once they had more energy. She lay in her bed, in her cold, unfamiliar dorm, thinking back to Ouma's own indignant speech a few hours ago as her aching body sunk into the mattress.

He had said too much enthusiasm and encouragement ended up sounding more like a threat to keep going, rather than something helpful.

All her life, encouragement had always been something that pushed her forward. It fueled her fire - not once had it ever felt like an obligation. But, in some ironic way, she understood what he meant because when she was exhausted from the tunnel and Momota kept pushing, it was frustrating to continue, even if that was their only chance to get out.

(Geez, she _really_ hated using Momota as an example because he was such a sweet guy, really, and she felt guilty for thinking about him in such a negative manner. But he was so similar to her, and sometimes it was easier to recognise your flaws once you saw them in other people. The only real difference was that he held more determination and belief than even her, headstrong to a degree that she couldn't achieve. 

And again, again she hated to think it, but maybe that was for the best.)

She fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Akamatsu jolted up from where she had buried her face into her pillow at the sound of the dorm intercom. She hadn't intended to cry when she came back from the dining hall, but something inside her crumbled as soon as she was in private, and she couldn't stop herself from breaking down - but now someone was at her door. She could always tell them to go away, but she felt like that would be more suspicious, and she couldn't bear to turn someone away if they actually needed her. 

She took a few steadying breaths as she ran to the bathroom and grabbed some toilet paper, wiping her face dry. A quick glance at the mirror showed blotchy skin, but she didn't want to leave the person at the door waiting. With the recent development, a lack of response could easily cause people to panic. She quickly splashed her face with water, dabbing it with a towel and hoping the redness of her eyes had faded enough to not immediately rouse concern, before quickly making her way to the door. 

She had left the key in the lock last night, which meant she could forgo scrambling around trying to find it. She plastered on a smile, took another breath, before quickly swinging the door open.

Admittedly, she wasn't sure who she was expecting. Momota, perhaps, with the urge to give the tunnel another try, or Gonta, who seemed like the type to need comfort. She didn't open the door with a clear expectation of who might be on the other side, and yet Kiibo's presence still somehow caught her off guard. She blamed his strange appearance; she hadn't quite gotten used to it yet. 

"Ah, Kiibo-kun! Did you need anything?" Akamatsu greeted with a voice as cheerful as the day before, hoping that would avoid any closer inspection. 

He didn't seem particularly convinced but she couldn't be completely sure; the difference between his expressions were pretty subtle if the reaction wasn't extreme. He didn't point anything out though, simply offering a small smile back. "Not quite. I apologise for bothering you, Akamatsu-san, but may I come in? I'd like to talk to you, preferably in private."

She didn't spare a moment to think, automatically deciding the request was innocent enough. She stepped aside, allowing Kiibo to shuffle inside with a polite bow of his head. It only occurred to her after closing the door that, considering the motive, this was a pretty dangerous move, but she couldn't believe that Kiibo would be knocking on her door to kill her. 

(Or rather, she couldn't believe _any_ of her classmates would kill anyone, but maybe that was just her overbearing positivity talking.)

Kiibo glanced around, before taking a seat at the desk, turning to face her. She followed his lead and sat down on the edge of her bed, taking a moment to gently rub her right eye as she waited for him to begin. After a few seconds of silence, he did, folding his hands in his lap. "I don't mean to intrude, but I couldn't help but want to ask. Are you alright?"

She blinked slowly, caught off guard as a burst of panic festered in her chest. Was she really that obvious? With the situation they were in, she didn't want anyone getting more stressed by worrying about her on top of everything else! She offered another smile, hoping it didn't look as fragile as it felt. "What? Of course I'm alright!" Akamatsu couldn't hold back a slightly nervous giggle. "Why'd you ask?"

"I may be a robot, and I may have difficulty processing social elements, but I'm not clueless." Kiibo shot back snappily, something stern, if not offended, melting his friendly disposition. The sudden shift made Akamatsu wince, guilt intermingling uncomfortably with the dredges of her brief panic. His shoulders lowered as he let out a slow sigh, clearly letting go of his frustration. "Please don't lie to me, Akamatsu-san. I'm certain none of us are alright, after being forced into such horrible circumstances. I want to help you, because I assume that emotional instability would ultimately make the situation worse."

Akamatsu nibbled on her bottom lip as her gaze fell to her lap. It made logical sense, she supposed, to want to avoid any more complications by adding personal problems to the mix. Still, there was a lump in her throat, and she didn't reply as she tried to think of words to force around it, fingers taking in the texture of her shorts as she ran them along the folded hems. Kiibo, to his credit, waited patiently for her to collect herself, with only the tugging at the hem of his gloves acting as an indicator of his annoyance. 

"Do you...think I did the right thing yesterday, with the tunnel?" She finally asked, before shaking her head as she remembered that Kiibo had been partnering with Ouma. Of course he wouldn't think she was right. "No, nevermind, don't worry about it-"

Kiibo interrupted with an answer regardless, his fiddling stopping as he answered with a furrowed brow. "Personally, I believe that your intentions were good. You simply became overzealous and acted demanding because of that." Akamatsu's shoulders hunched at the bluntness of his words, but she appreciated his honesty. "I don't think your initial encouragement was a bad thing. In fact, it helped motivate me, too. But the tunnel was setting us up to fail, and I assume your desperation for progress didn't help in that regard." He hesitated, before offering a gentle smile. "I don't believe anyone blames you."

"It doesn't feel like that." She admitted quietly, her voice warbling at the end, and even though she tried to return the smile, it came across more like a grimace. "I just- I thought we could get through anything if we worked together. But now I feel...I don't know. I feel confused. Because Ouma-kun didn't agree with that- no, he actively _encouraged_ us not to work together, to- to do what we wanted individually. To give up. And almost everyone agreed with him." Akamatsu took a deep breath as she laced her fingers together in her lap, neither of them pointing out that the majority included Kiibo. "I really wanted to help encourage everyone, so we'd do our best and be able to escape, but I ended up hurting everyone instead. But when I act more carefully, I still hurt everyone. It's like everything I do is wrong." Her voice tapered off as she realised her vision was blurring, and she tried to blink back her tears. She only succeeded in coaxing them to fall, and even though she knew there was nothing wrong with crying, she ducked her head in a feeble attempt to hide them. Shame ran through her; she didn't mean to push this onto Kiibo, damnit!

The robot in question didn't react at all as she vented, but as her rambling broke into silence, he took the opportunity to reply with a soothingly even tone. "I think you're expecting too much from yourself. You're not perfect, and neither is anyone else. You're allowed to make mistakes." She sniffed, withholding a retort about being aware of that as she felt the tears fall into a steady flow. "I think...I think you believe you have to act a certain way, or be perfect, though I'm unsure why. I won't ask, though."

(As soon as he said it, she understood what he was referring to. Ultimates were talented, hopeful, _unstoppable_ and she...wasn't. Despite holding the title of Ultimate Pianist, she never truly felt like an Ultimate. And she wanted to bridge that gap somehow.)

"However, like I said, none of us are perfect, and you need to remember that." Kiibo averted his gaze, silencing himself for a moment as he brought an idle hand to his mouth in thought. The pause stretched long enough for Akamatsu to wonder if he'd finished his speech, but he snapped out of it as she opened her mouth to ask. "Ouma-kun is excellent at leading people."

She snorted, a wet sound courtesy of her tears. "Of course he is. He's the Ultimate Youth Leader, right?"

Kiibo's lips quirked upwards, just short of a smile. "Which is, first of all, why you shouldn't compare yourself to him and his success. He presumably has more experience than you in convincing people." Another pause, much shorter as he began to fidget with his gloves again. "I haven't known him for long so some of my observation is based on assumption, but from what I've seen, Ouma-kun is constantly suspicious at best, and cynical at worst."

Kiibo shifted, leaning back against the chair as his eyes lifted to try and meet Akamatsu's, even as she rubbed at her damp cheek. "You want my opinion, correct?" He waited for her slightly confused nod to continue, a strange confidence in his tone. "In my honest opinion, I think you and Ouma-kun hold opposing outlooks, and unfortunately, his distrusting outlook is what resonated with most of us in our current situation. That doesn't mean your outlook is wrong. If anything, your optimism was favourable until continued failure made everyone frustrated." He leaned forward, in a gesture she could only read as imploring. "Please, listen to me when I say that nobody will blame you for pushing once the lingering frustration fades. The tunnel was a trap, and it was designed so that any one of us could fall for it. Statistically, it was almost guaranteed that one of us would become as determined as you were, and that was what the bears were counting on. In fact, it wasn't just you; Momota-kun and Chabashira-san expressed similar, if not more stubborn, determination. Do you blame them for pushing us too?"

The question caught her by surprise.

(She thought back to her exhaustion, hand in hand with annoyance, as Momota kept insisting _one more try, one more try_ , and yet-)

"No." She breathed, the slow beginnings of a soothing realisation ebbing into her mind. "No, of course I don't."

"Then don't blame yourself either." Kiibo said sternly, even though there was something akin to a kind smile on his face. After a moment, he cleared his throat as he looked away, suddenly awkward. "Of course, I'm not fully acquainted with the nuances of human social behaviour, so I could be misinterpreting several aspects. I hope I was able to help calm you either way."

There was a beat of silence, before she sighed softly. "You did. Help, I mean. Thanks, Kiibo." Akamatsu hoped her appreciation was clear in her tone, but she wouldn't count on it thanks to the lingering shakiness from her earlier tears. She quickly excused herself to find some tissues, irritated by the stickiness of her face. She sat down again as she dried her face, her smile small but genuine as she glanced at him, curious if he had anything else to say to fill the silence. He obliged. 

"Earlier, you tried to dismiss your question. Was it because you assumed I would stand by Ouma-kun's opinion?" The question was tentative, and a muted guilt welled in her chest. Akamatsu nodded sheepishly, but Kiibo didn't show any signs of offense, merely giving a curious hum. "I think your mindset and Ouma-kun's mindset belong to opposing extremes. To be blunt, I think both of you would benefit from being more grounded and more open, respectively." Akamatsu nodded along, understanding what the robot meant and agreeing, to some extent. He slumped down, letting out a heavy sigh. "Though, I'm not sure if that will be possible for Ouma-kun. Wariness is easier to gain than trust, especially in our current circumstances."

The admission didn't make sense to her, at least not remembering the way they interacted with each other. Akamatsu didn't mention that, instead choosing to pick her words more carefully, because while she doubted he'd blow up at her after such a delicate conversation, she didn't want to risk it. She couldn't handle that right now. "Well, if he'd trust anyone, it would be you, right? You two seem close."

Kiibo blinked, not reacting for a moment, and she worried she had said something wrong as he shuffled in his seat. "Do you really think so? I certainly consider him a friend, but to suggest that we're close enough for any analysis of his character to be seen as anything but an insult is a bit of an exaggeration."

"Maybe not now, exactly, but I think you're more likely to get through to him than me, at least." Akamatsu smiled, the irony of the sudden reversal of roles not lost on her. She got up again, balling the tissue up and throwing it in the bin. "It wouldn't hurt to talk to him about it, would it? It really helped, talking all this out with you, you just need to initiate it. I don't think many people enjoy asking people for help when they need it, especially at our age, you know?"

"Really? How interesting." Kiibo murmured, before returning her smile, bright. "I'll consider it, if I have a good opportunity." He paused, before tugging at the hem of his gakuran, tipping his head to the side. "But in the meantime, could I spend some time with you? I want to make sure you're okay, and it would be nice to get to know you better." His tugging evolved to wringing the fabric. "I'll leave you if you want, but-"

Akamatsu stopped him before he could ramble any further. "No, that would be nice. I'd love to hang out with you, Kiibo-kun." She reached up, pulling her treble clef hair pin out of her ponytail and setting it down on the desk beside Kiibo, before pulling her hair out of the ponytail entirely. Her hair fell comfortably down her shoulders. "Do you want to sit on the bed? I want to lie down, and it's probably more comfortable than the chair."

"It doesn't make too much of a difference to me, but I'll gladly accept your offer." He smiled as she fell face first onto the bed. She turned onto her back as the mattress dipped, peeking over to see the robot settling at the foot of the bed and shifting to have his back against the wall and his legs laid before him. 

Akamatsu felt comfortable; or rather, as comfortable as she could be with the looming threat to their lives. But she didn't want to think about that right now, not after crying her eyes out and feeling emotionally tender, and especially not when Kiibo was closing his eyes, seemingly content in company. 

"Wanna hear about my first piano recital?"

It slipped out before she could stop herself, prompting Kiibo's eyes to slide open again. And yet, she thought that they glowed with interest as he instantly agreed.

(The next day, she'll try to get through the tunnel again, with a bit more energy and a little less baseless optimism. She had promised Momota, after all.

But right now, she was happy to calm down in the privacy of her own dorm, with childhood stories and stupid ice breakers that made things feel a little more normal.)

**Author's Note:**

> Why yes, this was an excuse to write in Akamatsu's POV, what of it??
> 
> In all seriousness, I was really curious about trying to write in someone else's POV, in contrast to Ouma, who naturally is very perceptive. Because Ouma is experienced with reading people, he's able to do so more accurately where others could not. For example, there's a moment here where Akamatsu sees Kiibo adjusting with his gloves and assumes he's frustrated, whereas that's actually just a nervous tic. 
> 
> Anyway I love these two. They just care about each other so,,,much,,
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!!


End file.
